Seating-strip for rail-joints.



PATBNTED PE-B.12, 1907.

B1, GRUBBS. SEATINGSTRIP FOR RAIL JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1904.

ruz "onus is'rzks co. wllsnlncrn", a. c.

BARTON GRUBBS, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEATING-STRIP FOR RAIL-JOINTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed November 10, 1904. Serial No. 232,066.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARTON GRUBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seating-Strips for Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, in which Figure 1 is a cross-section through a railjoint, showing my'improved seating device incorporated between the bearing portions of l the fish-plates and the head and flanges of the rail, res'iectively, and also between the. head of the liolt and the nut-locking washer at each side and the fish-plates. Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, are detail views of various forms of the invention as made ready for use.

My invention refers to im rovements in means for providing a tight so id bearing between the meeting elements of any connected devices with particular reference to the application thereof to the fish-plates and meeting ends of the rails in making a rail-joint. Ordinarily in joining these members together considerable difliculty is experienced in making a tight joint by reason of inequalities in the meeting faces due to scale, pitting, rust, or any other causes which frequently occur in this class of apparatus, especially where exposed to the' elements. By reason of such inequalities it is im :ssible to screw the bolts up so tight that they will not eventually become more or less loose due to deterioration of the metal or the intervening scale under the incessant severe shocks to which the rails are subjected in use, and as it is practically impossible to economically finish the meeting faces to make an absolutely tight fit so as to obviate the necessity of further adjustment it becomes necessary from time to time to take up the space or looseness by tightening the nuts, and such loosening is also a source of serious trouble by reason of the lessening of the resisting pressure of the fish-plates. A further source of trouble is the constant knocking and noise incident to the constant use and wear.

My invention is designed to obviate these difficulties, and consists in providin strips of cushioning substance or material 2 of comparatively hard substance having sufficient compressibility to permit of its partial compression under the action of the bolts and also to allow of its being forced into the inequalities of the metal at both sides, so as to become completely embedded therewith. All possible space is thus taken up, so that when compressed to its practical limit of re duction the filler-strips constitute practically continuous portions of the rail and fish-plates in the same manner as though the metals were fused together. When thus incorporated and the nuts and bolts are drawn up tight and secured with the proper locking devices, the rail joint is practically solid throu hout as to its meeting portions and incapab e of anyfurther deterioration due to the causes s ecified, thereby rendering it continuously e ective to the highest possible extent and. obviating the necessity of any further adjustment or tightening of the bolts due to these causes.

In the forms of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the strip is shown of a thickness of, say, one eighth of an inch at the meet-ing angles formed between the web of the rail and the head and flanges, respectively, being the oints of most direct inward bearing of the h-plates. If desired, the strips may merely consist of narrow pieces, such as shown in Fig. 6, so as to provide a bearing at these joints only; but I preferably.

make them with an extended web ortion 3, which may be com aratively thinner and adapted to interfit etween the upper and lower faces of the fish-plate and the under and upper parts of the flange, respectively, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. By this construction a continuous flat bearing is provided throughout the full Width of these meeting faces, and the efficiency of the joint is in creased, While resulting in practically complete rotection for all of the interior porti ons 'rom the corrosive effect of the elements.

If desired, the strips may be made in the forms shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the same gen eral thickness throughout, curved to corre spond to the meeting faces, and good results may be secured from this form while permitting of a somewhat closeradjustment of the parts. The same material, molded or suitably shaped into adaptable forms, is also applied underneath the heads of the bolts 4 and the locking-washers 5 or underneath the nuts 6 themselves, bearing against the faces of the fish-plates, acting in the same manner as already described and insuring an absolutely tight contact.

I do not desire to be limited. to any specific material or substance, as various materials ITO ties of hardness and a limited compressibility together with the requisite strength. Good results may be secured with a combination of 5 canvas belting and a suitable body of material with which the belting may be combined, ,as asphaltu-m, which when compressed to its ?limit w1ll conform to the meeting faces and l seat, becoming absolutely solid. Vegetable i may be employed having the desirable quali io fiber, as wood-pulp, is also well adapted to the urpose.

I T e material employed is preferably 025 a character adapted to form a good electrical conductor for the purpose uotalso. acting as I 5 current-carrying means for the usual signals currents transmitted through .the rails, and for this reason I desire toavoid the useof fiber or any material ofanw on Ema-nine, v. I am aware that non-con uc mg fiber has been used between the fish-platesand the rails, formed to fit thereto and between these parts; but such material is not compressible in its nature and isnot adapted to-theiobjects of my invention, but, on theeontrary, isamactual detriment in so far. assecuring the re- Sttlt-S which I have in view.

I do not desire to be limited .tothe exact shape or formation of the-inventionas shown and described, as it is obvious that it may, if desired, be. laid. clear anross the entire inner covered area of rail web,flanges, and head, holes for the bolts being provided; but for the purposes of the present invention the upper and lower seating-strips entirely fulfil the objects in view.

BARTON GRLUB BS.

Witnesses ,JAstJ. Moi tree, Mlmron Banrnnia. 

